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Latest On Mets Outfield Situation

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10:03pm: Though there have been some discussions involving McCutchen, “there’s no traction there,” per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). New York is “not actively looking to upgrade” at the center-field position at this time, he adds.

9:18pm: On the selling side of the equation for the Mets, the Blue Jays “remain in talks” regarding both Bruce and Granderson, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter).

8:45pm: The Mets are at least looking into the possibility of a trade for a center fielder, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. He describes the organization as being “semi-engaged” in talks for a variety of possibilities.

Among the options, it seems, are a few high-profile veterans. There has been some “preliminary” talk with the Pirates on Andrew McCutchen, but there’s no present momentum towards a deal. Likewise, New York has spoken with the Royals, but doesn’t want to add a one-year rental in Lorenzo Cain and evidently is not excited about adding another speed/glove player in Jarrod Dyson, who Rosenthal says is viewed as being “too similar” to in-house option Juan Lagares.

There are other theoretical options that could be pursued, but Rosenthal notes that Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies and Billy Hamilton of the Reds don’t necessarily appear to represent matches. (Colorado doesn’t seem interested in dealing Blackmon, at least at a palatable price; Hamilton doesn’t deliver the kind of on-base threat that the Mets prefer, and he too is said to come with a high asking price.) The report does not indicate that the Mets have specifically considered or inquired about either player.

Of course, even if there was a clear target, matters are complicated by the fact that the Mets would need to pull off at least one other move to clear roster space. In addition to the center-field-capable Lagares, and newly re-inked left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, New York employs three left-handed-hitting options for right field: Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce, and Michael Conforto.

While it has long been assumed that one of the two veterans (Granderson and Bruce) will end up being traded, adding a regular in center might entail finding takers for both. And the open market still has a few players that interested teams could view as alternatives. There’s certainly value in the fact that both of those options have only one year left on their contracts, but they aren’t exactly cheap seasons; Bruce is owed $13MM after the Mets picked up his option, while Granderson will earn $15MM in the final year of his free-agent deal. While one of the three in-house players could conceivably end up at first base, that’s already manned by southpaw-swinging Lucas Duda, and there’s no indication that the Mets have looked to find a taker for him in a market still flooded with lefty first base/DH bats.

As Rosenthal goes on to note, the Mets’ remaining needs in the bullpen also complicate matters. Trade partners will likely be interested in young talent at or near the majors, and if New York continues to hold off on dealing Conforto or top prospect Amed Rosario, it may well need to part with arms (such as Robert Gsellman or Seth Lugo) to get a deal done. That would mean further paring back the depth in the relief corps, which already could stand to add one or two arms.

While there are obvious complications here for the Mets, it’s not hard to see the reasoning behind exploring the market for a center fielder. Lagares is still just 27 and still brings value with the glove, but hasn’t produced at the plate since signing his five-year extension before the 2015 season. While a platoon would make sense — his career OPS is about 100 points higher against lefties — the lefty bats mentioned above would be stretched defensively up the middle.

Purely hypothetically, if the Mets end up dealing one or more of their slugging corner bats, and can’t find a suitable trade for a regular center fielder, the alternative might be to add a lefty platoon piece that is capable of playing center. Potential options could include free agents Ben Revere and Michael Bourn, though neither impressed at the plate over the full course of the 2016 season.

Blue Jays Have Not Offered Jose Bautista More Than Qualifying Offer

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Since slugger Jose Bautista declined the one-year, $17.2MM qualifying offer made to him by the Blue Jays at the outset of the offseason, the club has not made him a formal offer that exceeds that amount, Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweets.

That’s not exactly surprising, perhaps, as Bautista’s market has seemingly not yet developed — in large part, perhaps, because former teammate Edwin Encarnacion and several other power bats (particularly Mark Trumbo) also remain unsigned. But it’s notable that Toronto hasn’t even seen fit to put that kind of cash on the table yet, as the team reportedly dangled four years and $80MM to Encarnacion at one point (though that offer seemingly no longer stands).

We took a look at Bautista’s market recently, upon Morosi’s suggestion that a reunion with the Jays could make the most sense at this point. That may well turn out to be the case, but it doesn’t seem likely to happen any time soon unless Toronto’s interest perks up or Bautista decides to settle for a lot less than he surely hoped for when he turned down the QO.

MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes predicted that Bautista could earn $51MM over three years on the open market, but there was always some downside in his case given his age, defensive limitations, and recent power drop, as well as (especially) the presence of so many other appealing power hitters in free agency. Because he rejected the qualifying offer, of course, Bautista would also cost a signing team a draft choice (or prevent the Jays from adding an additional selection), which further dents his value.

As Dierkes noted at the outset of the offseason, a one-year arrangement always seemed a plausible outcome, and a pillow contract now seems more likely than ever. Of course, it’s far too soon to say that a multi-year guarantee won’t be found; ongoing market developments may yet decide that question. Since our latest snapshot of the overall market for Bautista, we’ve heard some updated chatter on the potential connection to the Rays and the seeming unlikelihood of a match with the Mariners.

Blue Jays Interested In Travis Wood

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  • Morosi also tweets that in addition to Boone Logan and Jerry Blevins, the Blue Jays have interest in free-agent southpaw Travis Wood. Toronto has already been connected to both Logan and Blevins, but there hasn’t been much of a link between the Jays and Wood to this point. The Blue Jays have already lost Brett Cecil to the Cardinals this winter and have yet to replace him. Left-handed relief was arguably a need for the Jays even before Cecil departed, so they figure to be linked to a number of prominent southpaws as the offseason wears on. In Wood’s case, though, it’s worth wondering if he’d prefer to sign somewhere that gives him a chance to start. Wood spent the past couple of seasons in the Cubs’ bullpen, but he averaged 30 starts per year from 2012-14 and reached 200 innings in 2013. In a market that is thin on starters, giving Wood a chance to redefine himself as a rotation member holds plenty of merit for pitching-needy clubs.

Should Jays Have Been More Patient With Encarnacion?

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  • After Edwin Encarnacion didn’t immediately accept the Blue Jays’ initial four-year, $80MM offer, Toronto quickly pivoted to sign Kendrys Morales.  With Encarnacion still unsigned as we move into late December, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi opines that the Jays could have re-signed the slugger at around that price had they been a bit more patient.  By contrast, as Davidi notes, the Dodgers were able to re-sign Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner and Rich Hill after expressing their interest in the players but giving them time to test the market before circling back with an offer.  “Given how much common ground there was [between Encarnacion and the Jays], it’s an awful, awful way to part with a franchise icon,” Davidi writes.  The door isn’t yet totally closed on an Encarnacion return to Toronto, though with Morales and Steve Pearce both joining Justin Smoak in the first base/DH mix, it seems like the Blue Jays have already moved on.

Blue Jays Sign Jeff Beliveau

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  • Lefty Jeff Beliveau is headed to the Blue Jays on a minors deal with a spring invite, per a club announcement. The 29-year-old has thrown 45 MLB frames spread over four years, with an even 4.00 ERA and 9.4 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9. Last year, he didn’t pitch above the Double-A level in the Orioles system, but provided 49 2/3 innings of 2.54 ERA pitching with a dozen K/9 to go with a sub-optimal 5.3 BB/9.

Blue Jays Sign T.J. House To Minor League Deal

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The Blue Jays announced on Wednesday that they’ve signed former Indians left-hander T.J. House to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training.

[Related: Updated Toronto Blue Jays Depth Chart]

Back in 2014, House looked to have emerged as a viable back-of-the-rotation option in Cleveland after tossing 102 innings of 3.35 ERA ball and averaging 7.1 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 to go along with a hefty 60.9 percent ground-ball rate as a 25-year-old rookie. However, House spent a pair of stints on the disabled list with shoulder problems in 2015, the latter of which sidelined him for the final four months of the season. In the two years since that promising debut, he’s pitched just 15 2/3 innings in the Majors and allowed 20 runs on 27 hits and 12 walks with nine strikeouts. Now 27 years of age, House did manage a 3.98 ERA in 72 1/3 innings with Triple-A Columbus last season, but his 6.2 K/9 rate and 5.4 BB/9 rate were hardly encouraging.

For the Blue Jays, left-handed depth is an area of clear need on their pitching staff, though. Toronto lost Brett Cecil to a four-year deal with the Cardinals earlier this offseason and has yet to bring in a proven southpaw to take his place. The Jays’ top left-handed options in the ’pen are Aaron Loup, Chad Girodo, Matt Dermody and Ryan Borucki, plus non-roster invitee Brett Oberholtzer.

Latest On Market For Jose Bautista

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Neither the Yankees nor the Giants are “seriously pursuing” veteran slugger Jose Bautista, Jon Morosi of MLB Network writes. Morosi goes on to discuss the remaining market for the 36-year-old, who will require draft compensation from a signing team since he turned down a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays.

Both New York and San Francisco seemed at least to be decent hypothetical matches, particularly the latter. All said, the news doesn’t improve the outlook for Bautista. As Morosi notes, organizations such as the White Sox and Phillies could have a theoretical need in the corner outfield, but will probably be loath to part with a draft choice and spend big on an aging player at this stage of their respective rebuilding efforts.

Several AL East teams make some sense, at least on paper, beyond the Yankees and incumbent Jays. But the Orioles have shot down any such notions, citing Bautista’s poor reputation among the Baltimore faithful. (The same, presumably, is true of the Rangers.) We have also heard some suggestion that the Rays could have some interest in Bautista — or, at least, a theoretical player of his ilk — but that would likely be more as an opportunistic landing spot than as a dedicated pursuit. The Red Sox appear to have been of interest to Bautista, but it seems that the organization doesn’t feel there’s a fit (in part, at least, due to salary considerations).

I’d add, speculatively, that there are a few other teams that could conceivably enter the picture. The Mariners could stand to add a bat and have some positional flexibility with which to work, though they do have several right-handed-hitting pieces in the corner outfield/first base/DH areas already, it’s possible to imagine a fit. It’s a similar situation for the Mets, who have been rumored to have at least some interest in the past. If you squint hard enough, or imagine a trade to open space, it’s still possible to see a match with the Astros despite the addition of Carlos Beltran. And the Nationals did surprisingly pursue Bautista at the 2016 trade deadline, though the acquisition of Adam Eaton makes a move on him now a tough proposition. Most intriguingly, perhaps, the Rockies could stand to plug Bautista’s bat in at first base, if they were to move an outfield piece and shift the just-inked Ian Desmond to the grass.

Given the overall market setting, Morosi argues that the most sensible outcome at this point is for Bautista to end up back with the Blue Jays. For Toronto, there’s still an evident need to add offense, particularly in the outfield. In a multi-year scenario, at least, Bautista could slide in at first base at some point down the line. While the team would stand to sacrifice the chance to recoup a compensatory draft pick, adding Bautista wouldn’t hurt as much in the draft department as it would many other organizations. (Under the new CBA, no organization will be able to make Bautista a qualifying offer in the future.) Plus, there’s obviously a special connection between this particular team and player.

It’s worth emphasizing that the level of interest on the Jays’ side remains somewhat unclear. The club is said to be in touch with Bautista’s representatives, but there’s little doubt that Toronto will prefer to minimize its commitment in any arrangement. While Bautista was still a productive player last year, and maintained his excellent plate discipline, he wasn’t quite himself in the power department (22 home runs, .452 slugging percentage). With the obvious issue of age and declining glovework in the outfield — not to mention the fact that the Jays already locked into a three-year commitment at DH with Kendrys Morales — there’s good reason for the organization to be wary of a lengthy entanglement.

Jays Still In Contact With Jose Bautista's Agent

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Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins and Jay Alou (Jose Bautista’s agent) have remained in contact since speaking on the final day of the Winter Meetings, FOX Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi tweets.  It seemed like the door was more or less closed on a reunion between the two sides, though the fact that talks re-opened during the Meetings and have apparently continued represents notable progress.  If the qualifying offer and accompanying draft pick compensation has indeed been hampering Bautista’s market, re-signing with the Jays would seem like a logical avenue for Bautista.  From Toronto’s perspective, the team would have to see enough value in bringing Bautista back into the fold that it would be willing to pass on the first-round compensation pick the Jays would receive if Bautista signed elsewhere.

  • We’ve already heard about the Indians’ one-year offer to Mike Napoli, though earlier this week, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reported (Twitter link) that the Tribe also offered one-year contracts to Matt Holliday and Michael Saunders.  Holliday was known to be a Cleveland target and he ended up signing a one-year, $13MM deal with the Yankees.  The Blue Jays and Orioles have shown interest in Saunders but the winter rumor mill has otherwise been pretty quiet for the Canadian outfielder.  Saunders hit .253/.338/.478 with 24 homers over 558 PA for Toronto last season, though his production badly declined after the All-Star break.  The Tribe already has several left-handed hitting or switch-hitting corner outfield options, though Saunders could play in the field or perhaps get some DH time when Carlos Santana is at first base, given Saunders’ poor fielding metrics last season.

Blue Jays Rumors: Encarnacion, Catchers, Bullpen

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The latest on Toronto:

  • The Blue Jays continue to monitor and stay in touch with free agent first baseman/designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman. Encarnacion’s preference is to re-sign with the Jays, but he’s talking less with them than he is with other teams, per Heyman. Notably, Toronto general manager Ross Atkins expressed pessimism Wednesday about re-upping Encarnacion. While the 33-year-old’s market has seemingly shrunk in the past week, agent Paul Kinzer isn’t worried that Encarnacion will have difficulty securing a sizable contract – whether with the Jays or another team. “Not only is he the best player in this class, he’s one of the best in baseball,” Kinzer told Heyman. “We’re going to be fine. He and I are patient. He’s good” (Twitter links here).
  • Having lost left-handed setup man Brett Cecil to the Cardinals, the Blue Jays are on the hunt for a southpaw reliever, leading to interest in Jerry Blevins, Mike Dunn and Javier Lopez, report Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi. However, the contracts given to Cecil (four years, $30.5MM) and fellow lefty Marc Rzepczynski (two years, $11MM) have perhaps driven up the prices for Blevins, Dunn and Lopez, meaning the Jays could scour the trade market for a cheaper option than free agency offers, Nicholson-Smith and Davidi observe.
  • Along with Chris Iannetta, fellow free agent catchers Bobby Wilson and Geovany Soto are on Toronto’s radar, write Nicholson-Smith and Davidi. The Blue Jays are looking for someone to back up Russell Martin, whose 2016 reserves – Josh Thole and Dioner Navarro – are also on the open market.

Blue Jays Uninterested In Trading Marcus Stroman For Charlie Blackmon

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If the Rockies do deal Blackmon, odds are they’ll try to acquire starting pitching in return – especially if they sign Trumbo. Picking him up would likely push Desmond from first base to an outfield that, in addition to Blackmon, currently includes Carlos Gonzalez, David Dahl and Gerardo Parra. But Colorado fully intends to play Desmond at first, sources told Saunders, which could certainly affect both Trumbo and Blackmon. Regardless, the Rockies are indeed searching for a high-end starter, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), and acquiring a major rotation piece would have to come via trade thanks to the weakness of this year’s free agent class. One front-line starter in whom the Rockies have interest is Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman, but the Blue Jays are unwilling to swap him for Blackmon, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter link).

Although the Blue Jays are in need of outfield help, something Blackmon would certainly provide, their reluctance to part with Stroman isn’t particularly surprising. After all, Stroman exceeded the 200-inning barrier and posted a 60.1 percent ground-ball rate in 2016, and ERA estimators like FIP (3.71), xFIP (3.41) and SIERA (3.62) indicated that he deserved better than his 4.37 ERA. Moreover, the 25-year-old Stroman is far younger than Blackmon, 30, and is under team control for longer. Stroman is set to make his first of four possible trips through arbitration this offseason, and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $3.5MM award. Blackmon, meanwhile, is two years from free agency and will make an estimated $9MM in 2017 after slashing .324/.381/.552 with 29 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 641 plate appearances last season.

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